The Holidays
by rabid wolf demon
Summary: Join the Dawn Brigade as they prepare for Christmas / takes place after RD
1. Chapter 1

The Holidays

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Well, in all honesty this will only be a short series that I'm writing for Blue Orbi Angel's holiday challenge. For those who don't know what it is let me say this: write a 5-15 chapter story 500-1500 words in each chapter. Oh, and I'm not counting the little bit I write at the beginning and end of each chapter. So this is about the members of the Dawn Brigade after the war with the goddess. Enjoy!

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Glistening flakes of white powder floated down onto the shattered cobble stones of the streets of Nevassa. Homes lay in utter disrepair and some people were without the proper attire for the frigid season of winter. However, despite the dreary setting and poor status of the country of Daein, the people in the streets were in an almost jocular mood and for good reasons too. Christmas was fast approaching and all worldly woes could be laid to rest for at least a few days. It was none other then the tireless members of the Dawn Brigade that were at the head of all the cheer. They spent hours on end each day aiding the poor, repairing damaged homes and simply talking to people.

The darkening sky signaled the end of the day and all people began to return to their own homes. The Dawn Brigade wearily made their way to the Daein Keep which served as their base of operations. They had a small conference room to themselves as well as their own private quarters in the keep. Their meeting place was rather lavishly furnished, by Daein standards. There was a large bookshelf against one wall; an oak table in the middle; numerous large leather chairs scattered about the room and a large fire place. Edward was the first to enter the room, flinging the door open noisily and stumbling into the darkness. The others followed behind in a more controlled manner. Nolan immediately set to the task of starting a fire while Sothe went about the room lighting candles to light the room.

"Oh man, I'm beat," the usually chipper Edward sighed as he collapsed into a chair. "Christmas is only a few days off and we haven't done anything for ourselves. I haven't even got any of you guys' gifts yet. If we don't take some time for ourselves, this is going to be a really sad holiday."

"Edward, the point of Christmas is to bring joy to others," Micaiah added with a smile, walking to her own chair and sitting down. "It's all right with me if I don't even get gifts from any of you because I'm spending my time helping people in need."

"Yeah, well I still think it would suck without presents," Edward pouted.

"You're such a child," Sothe muttered under his breath as he walked past the swordsman.

Edward spun about in his chair, prepared to fire back an insult of his own about how Sothe dressed. However, he felt a hand tug at his shoulder and he turned to see who it was. Edward found himself looking into a pair of large brown eyes and a kind smile. The anger that had built in him at Sothe's comment faded instantly, he never could be mad around Laura. Edward grinned and pulled her down onto the chair with him, much to Laura's embarrassment. Her face began to turn a brilliant shade of crimson as Micaiah started to giggle at the couple.

"Get a room you two," Leonardo sighed rolling his eyes.

"We have one, now you go find your own," Edward shot back at his best friend.

"Laura, you do realize that you are a member of the church and that such acts are not befitting of someone of your position?" Aran asked his childhood friend and.

"We killed the goddess, so that's the end of that religion," Nolan spoke up from where he sat reading his book.

"Still, it's unbecoming of any young girl," Aran sighed shaking his head. "Well, I'm tired so good night all of you. I shall see you in the morning."

With that said, Aran excused himself from the room. All went quiet except for the crackling of the fire and the occasional noise of Nolan turning a page. Laura shifted on Edward's lap in order to get into a more comfortable position. She settled with her head resting against his shoulder and slightly under his chin with her legs propped up on the armrest opposite her side of the chair. Edward wrapped his arms around Laura and both of them closed their eyes. Micaiah smiled at the couple and thought of her own love, Ike. She deeply whished that he would at least visit her on Christmas, that would make her unspeakably happy. Of course Micaiah would never admit that was the gift she wanted to anyone, but most people had figured out about their relationship during the fight against the Goddess Ashera. She sat in her chair reminiscing in fond memories of the past.

Leonardo leaned back into the vastness of the cushioning of the chair he sat in. He continued to rotate and try to work his way further into the chair's back. Unsatisfied with the comfort of his position, Leonardo began shifting about restlessly. He soon returned to trying to bury himself in the back of the chair once more. Nolan looked up to watch the rather unusual scene before him before averting his gaze back to his book. He listened as Leonardo continued to struggle with the chair.

"You know, if you go any further you'll actually be inside with the stuffing?" Nolan finally commented as he turned another page in his book. "What exactly are you trying to do anyways?"

"Do you actually care to hear?" Leonardo asked wondering if the older man teasing him or being serious.

"No, but go ahead and tell me anyways," Nolan spoke flatly as his eyes continued to follow the lines of text on the page.

"I'm just so bored," the archer sighed. "And it doesn't help that my best friend hasn't spent a lot of time with me either. Edward has gotten kind of boring since he's been with Laura."

"Sounds to me like your jealous," the older man spoke in a very matter of fact tone. "Why don't you go find your own significant other so you'll have someone to spend time with? It's better then sitting around sulking or complaining to me. Oh, and next time watch what you say around others. Edward and Laura may have fallen asleep, but you never know when one of them might wake up and hear what you say. Just throwing that out there," Nolan added turning another page in his book.

Leonardo, let out a heavy sigh before he too left to go to bed. Sothe turned his to look at the door as it closed. He pushed himself off of the wall he had been leaning against and made his way over to the windows on the opposite side of the room. Micaiah watched Sothe curiously as he passed by her. He leaned against the stone wall next to the window, crossed his arms and watched the falling snow outside. Micaiah snapped her head back around at the sound of the door opening. In walked Pelleas with a roll of parchment rolled up neatly and tied with a string in one hand. Laura shifted in Edward's lap at the sudden noise, but both of them remained asleep.

"Hello Pelleas, what brings you here?" Micaiah asked the blue haired magician.

"He still hasn't abdicated the throne, so technically he's still 'King Pelleas' but I digress," Nolan said suddenly never taking his eyes off of the text on the page. "Still, what does bring you here?"

"Oh, that well I bring orders for the Dawn Brigade," Pelleas stammered unrolling the parchment he had with him. "I, Pelleas King of Daein, hereby give leave to the members of the Dawn Brigade from further efforts in the reconstruction process. This leave shall be a time span of five days beginning tomorrow."

"Wow, that's it?" Sothe asked turning away from the window. "You went and wrote all that down on a piece of paper, made a huge scene and delivered the message like it was important. All you did was give us a few days off. You could have just said that from the beginning."

"Yes, well, I'm sorry," Pelleas stammered slowly retreating towards the door. "Good night."

Pelleas slipped back out of the room and Sothe returned to looking out of the window. Micaiah leaned back into her chair and let out a tired sigh. Nolan turned to look at what had disrupted him, seeing that it was nothing he returned to reading.

"It looks like Edward is going to get the Christmas he wanted," Sothe said without turning away from the falling snow just beyond the glass.

"You're absolutely right," Nolan added closing his book and standing up to return it to its proper place on the bookshelf. "We had all better get some rest if we want to keep up with the lad."

All were in agreement on that. Nolan and Sothe left the room without another word, but Micaiah hung back a while longer. She left and returned with a blanket which she draped over the sleeping Edward and Laura. Satisfied that her friends would be warm, Micaiah left to go her won room and get some sleep.

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That was cutting it really close. There are 1500 words in all, I counted, so it meets the requirements (that doesn't include the things I write before the chapter and after or the title for that matter). Well, what'd you guys think of it? Not too sure what I'm going to do with this one and I'm making it up as I go along. Blue Orbi Angel, I expect a review from you because I am writing for your challenge after all. Oh, and for anyone reading my other story it might take a bit of time to update. I lost my notebook with that story in it (view my profile if you don't understand what I mean). Rate and review please.


	2. Chapter 2

The Holidays

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Hah, I'm back again and much sooner then I ever thought I would be. I just have an odd sleeping hour, that's what helps me get things done. Blue Orbi Angel here's chapter two for you. Enjoy!

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The first light of dawn poured through the dim windows of the Dawn Brigade's meeting room, slowly illuminating the room. The door opened slightly and the blond head of Leonardo peered in. He squinted to try to see in the dim light, eventually spotting Edward and Laura still sleeping peacefully. The archer pushed the door wide open and walked over to his friend. Leonardo stood over them for a while when an idea came into his mind. With a devious grin on his face, the blond haired man strode over towards the fireplace. He coated his hands with soot and quietly made his way back to the sleeping couple. Leonardo leaned over reaching out to mark Edward's face with black when he found someone griping his arm. He looked down to his arm and immediately recognized who it belonged to, turning back to see the smiling swordsman. Edward pulled on Leonardo's arm, dragging the blond forward, and then turned his own hand against him.

"You still can't beat me Leonardo, no matter how early in the morning it may be," Edward laughed as his friend pulled back with a black mark on his face in the shape of an open hand. "Keep trying though; it's really funny for me."

"What's going on?" Laura asked her voice laden heavily with the lasting effects of sleep. "Why are you being so loud this early?"

"Sorry for the disturbance, but I tried to get the both of you," Leonardo began explaining. "But as you can see, Edward is still too fast for me."

Laura nodded slightly before turning her back to Leonardo and trying to get back to sleep. Edward smiled down at her, brushing some hair from her face. Both boys looked up when they heard the door open. Sothe took one step into the room before noticing that there were others watching him. He turned to see the two friends, Leonardo's face still covered with soot. Sothe grinned as he gleaned together enough information to get a decent idea of what had occurred before he had arrived. Nolan and Aran came up behind the green haired youth, brushing past him to get into the room. However, like Sothe, they too stopped and grinned when they saw Leonardo's face.

"Hey you guys, what's the hold up" Micaiah's voice called from behind the wall that the three men had unintentionally created. "Let me in please."

She squeezed in between Sothe and Aran and took a few steps before noticing why everyone else had stopped. Micaiah's golden brown eyes grew wide before she turned away, attempting to suppress giggles with her hands. Everyone else started to laugh and Leonardo stood there and waited for them to stop. Laura opened her eyes and looked for what all the fuss was about. When she laid eyes on the source she burst into a fit of giggles.

"Are you all quite done yet?" Leonardo asked tapping his foot impatiently.

"How did that even happen?" Micaiah asked through spurts of giggles. "I mean, Edward is sitting down with Laura on his lap and he was asleep. How did you end up with the dirty face?"

"I was awake before Leonardo even came into the room," Edward began to explain a proud smile stretched from ear to ear. "When I heard someone coming, I pretended that I was asleep so that they wouldn't bother me. I couldn't help but see who came in and what they were doing. So when I saw Leonardo in the fireplace I kind of figured out what he was up to. I listened for his footsteps, and then I struck."

Micaiah went through another small fit of giggles before she managed to compose herself. Leonardo excused himself to go clean off his face and hands. Laura and Edward stood up and stretched out their stiff limbs. Both vowed to never sleep in a chair again as the amount of discomfort washed over them. The other members of the Dawn Brigade took a seat for themselves or found something to keep them entertained long enough for Leonardo to return. The archer returned shortly with a clean face and clean hands. Everyone else in the room did their best to hide their smiles.

"Well, now that we're all present and accounted for lets get straight to business," Sothe stood up as he spoke to the other members of the Dawn Brigade. "For those who were not in the room last night when King Pelleas delivered his message, allow me to retell what he said. We have been given five days off from our reconstruction duties to spend as we see fit."

"Really, we get three days to get each other gifts?" Edward asked excitedly. "Wow, that doesn't leave us a lot of time. I need to get going."

With that the swordsman dashed from the room. The others stood around for a little while before they too left to go do their own Christmas shopping.

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Short, I know that but it's supposed to be. It's just a transitional chapter to get the rest of the story going. I should have the next chapter up within the next few days. Rate and review.


	3. Chapter 3

The Holidays

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Well, it took me longer to update then I thought. Hmm, I better hurry if I want this done before Christmas. Anyways, this chapter will follow Leonardo and Edward through their little adventure

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A red and yellow blur sprinted past servants, maids and guards on its way to the main entrance of the Daein Keep. Reaching the grand staircase the blur came to a halt. A panting Edward hopped on the stone hand rail and slid his way to the bottom. He leapt off and took off towards the large double doors that lead to the outside.

"Edward!" a voice called from the top of the stairs. "Hey Edward wait for me!"

The boy halted with his hand on the large brass handle of the front door and turned around to see who had called his name. He saw the blond head of his best friend, Leonardo. The archer was walking down the stairs one at a time. Edward began to tap his foot impatiently while he waited for his friend. Eventually, Leonardo reached the bottom of the stairs and made his way over to the slightly irritated swordsman. The archer grinned at the expression on Edward's face before opening the door and stepping outside. The brown haired boy followed after him. Once outside, Leonardo took off at a full sprint towards Nevassa's market. Edward seeing his friend already ahead of him gave chase.

"First one to the market wins!" Leonardo called over his shoulder, gasping when he saw how close Edward was.

The swordsman pumped his arms and legs in unison, the loud crunch of snow sounding with each foot fall. He quickly drew even with the blond haired archer and gave him a slight smirk before pulling ahead. Leonardo had always been the slowest of his friends. He even wondered if Micaiah was faster then he was. However, he was determined to not lose to Edward especially when he had taken a head start. Leonardo pushed himself harder and his pace quickened slightly, but his friend was still moving further and further away. The archer stumbled and nearly fell face first into the snow. Panting heavily Leonardo started to fall even further behind as he slowed down.

"Hey Edward wait for me!" Leonardo shouted as the cold air burned his lungs. "I can't keep up with you! You win alright!"

Hearing his friend calling out to him, Edward turned to look over his shoulder. He saw that Leonardo had stopped running completely and was instead standing in place and waving to him. Edward leapt into the air and turned sideways, sliding through the snow to a stop. Turning back to Leonardo he beckoned to him with his hands. The archer sighed and trotted towards Edward. Once Leonardo reached him, he threw his arm around the swordsman's shoulders and leaned most of his weight on them.

"You have pathetic stamina," Edward pointed out as his friend continued to breathe heavily.

"I'm an archer, Edward," Leonardo panted. "I don't need to run around a battlefield with a sword like you do. I stand in place and shoot at people, so stamina is not something I focus on too much."

"You should so you can keep up with me," Edward teased.

The swordsman grabbed his friend's shirt collar, stuck his leg out and threw Leonardo over it. The archer tripped over Edward's outstretched leg and fell face first into the snow covering the street. Leonardo pushed himself onto his hands and knees, shaking his head to get the cold snow off of his face. He looked for Edward, but only received a face full of more snow. The swordsman took off to a safe distance as his friend wiped his face.

"You're dead," Leonardo growled as he bent down to make a snowball.

Edward stuck out his tongue when Leonardo stood back up to face him. The archer drew back his arm, took aim and then released the snowball at his friends head. However, Edward spun away from the trajectory path of his Leonardo's projectile and it fell harmlessly to the ground. Upset that he had missed, Leonardo went about gathering another snowball. He threw one right after the other, but not once did Edward get hit by a snowball. Standing, breathless and defeated, Leonardo looked at his best friend who was just over ten yards away.

"Come on Leonardo, don't tell me that you're finished already," Edward taunted the archer as he danced around him in a circle, never coming any closer.

Leonardo bent over to gather one more snowball. He felt something heavy collide with his side and he went reeling towards the ground. Edward lay on top of the archer's chest with a fistful of snow in one hand. He shoved the cold ball into his friend's face, laughing as he did. Leonardo was not about to be outdone. He grabbed a fistful of snow and shoved it into Edward's face. The swordsman fell back, shocked by the sudden cold feeling on his face. It was Leonardo's turn to laugh. Edward wiped his face clean and grinned back at Leonardo. The two spent the remainder of the day playing in the snow. All thoughts of gift buying had slipped from their minds.

Edward and Leonardo returned to the Dawn Brigade's meeting room dripping wet and freezing cold. Nolan, Aran and Sothe were already there. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace and that is where the cold boys went first. They huddled as close to the flames as they possibly could without burning themselves. Nolan glanced up from his book at the two boys.

"Did you two manage to get anyone anything?" the older man asked, his eyes never leaving the text on the page. "Or was it just a fun filled day in the snow?"

Edward and Leonardo looked at each other nervously, realizing for the first time that they had just wasted an entire day. Both turned around and gave Nolan a sheepish grin. They hoped that everyone else had just spent the day playing like they had. Looking around the room they saw various boxes already wrapped in bright paper and topped with ribbons. The boys sighed realizing that their other friends had actually used their first day to go shopping and get gifts.

"We were going to," Edward began.

"But we got sidetracked," Leonardo finished for him.

"I already got everyone gifts," Aran said.

The two boys turned from the fire to look at Aran. He was fussing over some of the presents. Edward and Leonardo shrugged at each other and went back to warming their hands in front of the fire. The door opened slightly and a head full of brown haired looked into the room. It immediately pulled out and the door closed again. Edward got up and rushed over to place his ear to the wood. He could hear two female voices whispering to each other on the other side.

"Laura!" Edward cried out merrily as he threw open the door and flung his arms around the startled girl.

"Edward wait, don't look," Laura spoke hastily as Micaiah began to giggle next to the couple.

"Okay, I won't look," the swordsman said and closed his eyes.

Edward turned around and stumbled around looking for the door. Everyone started to laugh as the swordsman collided with the wall. Edward took a step back and rubbed his nose. He reached out with his hands and felt for the entrance to the meeting room. When he found it he slipped inside.

"I didn't see anything," Edward grinned and then closed the door.

He made his way back to the fire and squatted down in front of it once more.

"Edward, you got me all wet!" Laura yelled from the other side of the door.

All inside the room roared with laughter. Nolan closed his book and went to go set it in its proper place on the bookshelf. He then walked over to where Leonardo and Edward were trying to warm themselves. The axe wielder placed a hand on each boy's shoulder and they glanced up at him curiously.

"You two should go change out of those wet clothes and then get some sleep," Nolan instructed. "You will both have a fairly busy day tomorrow. You need to catch up on the day you wasted and stuff like that. So it's off to bed for you boys."

Edward and Leonardo mumbled an unintelligible complaint before doing as they were told. Once they were gone the ax wielder turned to Sothe and Aran.

"That goes for us too," Nolan added. "I don't know about you two, but I'm exhausted. Goodnight."

With that he left the room to go to bed. Sothe and Aran glanced at each other. With a shrug, both of them left to go to sleep as well.

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Randomness galore. I enjoyed writing this chapter quite a bit. I should get a few more chapters up this weekend. School has been killing me, the teachers want to cram as much before the break as possible. Anyways, rate and review please.


	4. Chapter 4

The Holidays

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Hey Blue! Did you forget about me? Sorry about not finishing this up last year but my computer died so I'll be finishing it up now since Christmas is just around the corner. Don't worry, I still remember where I was headed with this and I refreshed my memory on the guidelines for the challenge. I'm glad I wrote them down at the beginning of the first chapter. Anyways, without further a due, allow me to present you with the final chapters of this short series. Enjoy!**

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The Dawn Brigade's conference room filled with a soft orange glow as the first light of the new day poured in through the windows. The serene scene lasted only for an instant before the silence was shattered by Edward bursting through the door, a large plate piled high with food in his hand. Laura followed close behind him with two cups in her hand and Leonardo was not far back from the couple with his own breakfast. Edward and Laura sat very near each other on one side of the large wooden table while Leonardo took a seat on the opposite side of his friends.

"So, what's the plan for today?" the young swordsman asked as he prepared to start shoveling his food into his mouth.

"Not to let you and Leonard go shopping together again," Nolan said as he walked into the room, a piece of buttered toast and a cup in his hand. "You boys actually need to get something done today since tomorrow we are going to be decorating this room for a small party. If you don't, I'm going to make you get your gifts while we celebrate Christmas Eve. I know neither of you want that so I'm going to regulate a little here. Leonardo you are with me and Laura, you are in charge of Edward. Do you all understand?"

The three youths nodded and a satisfied Nolan took a seat in one of the large leather chairs to eat his small breakfast. The group ate in silence. Laura picked what she wanted off of Edward's plate from time to time, but he didn't mind. Everyone looked up as Sothe opened the door. The young man did not enter the room. Instead he signaled for Nolan to come out into the hallway with him. The ax wielder excused himself and followed the rogue outside. The three remaining in the room exchanged confused glances and shrugged as the door closed.

"Jill and Haar returned today," Sothe whispered so that only Nolan could hear him.

"And, were they successful in their search?" the older man asked holding his breath.

"No, they said everything was gone," the rogue let out with a sigh.

Nolan clenched both fists and lightly tapped the stone wall to his right in frustration. He ran a hand through his hair to calm himself slightly before turning back to Sothe.

"Tell the guards to be on alert then," he instructed his companion. "Tell them to report immediately to either you or me if anything shows up. It's a slim chance now, but it's our only hope."

"We must have lost our edge or something because this should have been an easy task," Sothe said as he shook his head.

Nolan nodded in agreement before excusing himself and returning to the three youths, who had all finished eating by the time he reentered the room. He pointed at Leonard and motioned for the archer to follow. Laura and Edward decided it was time for them to leave as well. As the four of them were leaving they saw a tree approaching them from down the hallway. Everyone stepped out of the way as it marched right into their conference room. A very dirty Aran walked out a moment later. He was covered from head to toe with sap, dirt and pine needles. Edward let out an impressed whistle while Nolan patted the soldier on the back.

"I told Micaiah to meet me here with a box full of ornaments this morning, have any of you seen her?" the green haired man puffed as he tried to regain his breath. Everyone shook their head. "I wonder where she got off to then. Oh well, I need to go clean myself off. I'll see you guys later."

With that said Aran turned to leave and nearly crashed into someone carrying a large box that hid their upper body from view. Everyone knew who was behind it though. Micaiah was by far the shortest person in the entire Daein Keep. Sothe rushed over to take the box from her. The silver haired girl thanked him as she shook her sore arms. The rogue disappeared into the conference room momentarily to drop off the box before returning to the group in the hall.

"What are all of you up to?" Micaiah asked still panting slightly.

"These two didn't do anything yesterday so Laura and I will be regulating their behavior to ensure that they get their shopping done," Nolan explained as he indicated to Edward and Leonardo with his gloved hand.

"What about you Sothe?" the short girl asked turning to him. "What do you have planned for today?"

"Sothe will be out on a special errand for me," the ax wielder cut in. "Isn't that right Sothe?"

The rogue paused for a moment to think before he understood and nodded in agreement. Micaiah looked at the two of them skeptically but figured that they weren't up to any mischief so she let it pass. The majority of the group headed for the main entrance to head into town. Aran left in the direction of his room to go clean himself up, leaving Micaiah utterly alone. She watched her friends disappear around the corner before going into the conference room.

She headed directly for the box that Sothe had placed on the large wooden table. The first thing she noticed was that the remnants of two people's breakfast also occupied the surface of the table. Micaiah sighed, she had a pretty good idea of who did not clean up after themselves. Picking up the dishes, she walked over to the fireplace and set them on the mantel where they would be out of the way. With that done the silver haired girl opened the box and started to carefully remove the ornaments. She gently laid each orb of glass on the table, making sure that they did not roll away. Micaiah was surprised to find stained glass in the shapes of stars. She smiled warmly down at all of the decorations she had to work with. Glancing over at the tree her smile faded. It was left leaning against the far wall without a base to hold it up.

With a sigh Micaiah set the now empty box on the floor and sat in one of the chairs while she waited for Aran to return. She wasn't going to be able to do anything without him. The minutes rolled by, but there was still no sign of the soldier. Micaiah squirmed impatiently in her chair, she played with her silver hair and basically did anything to keep her entertained while she waited. After about an hour of waiting, Aran opened the door only to find lying across the arm rests, swinging her legs and staring up at the ceiling. However, when she heard him enter she jumped up excitedly.

"Aran, we have a bit of a problem!" Micaiah complained as she pointed at the tree. "There's no base to put the tree in. How are we going to make it stand up without one? By the way, what took you so long to get back here?"

"Sap isn't easy to get off of your body," the man explained. "As far as a base goes I've already got one. You should have checked under the tree. It's there. Go see for yourself if you don't believe me."

The silver haired girl did just that. She looked back at Aran slightly embarrassed for having jumped to an incorrect conclusion. The soldier chuckled slightly. He walked over and reached into the tree, grabbing it by the trunk.

"Alright, when I put it into the base you secure it in place," Aran instructed. "Got that?"

Micaiah nodded and the green haired man lifted the tree up. He struggled to find the base at first but Micaiah placed it under the trunk. She quickly fastened it in place while Aran held it upright. When they had finished, the both of them stepped back to admire their work. Micaiah glanced excitedly over at the table where the ornaments lay, waiting to be hung on the tree.

"Not yet," Aran scolded. "This is something for everyone to enjoy. We should wait for the others to return."

"I'm back!" Edward shouted as he burst in through the door as if on queue.

The young swordsman held a number of packages in his arms. Laura came running in shortly after, completely out of breath. Micaiah and Aran exchanged glances while shrugging. Edward set his load down and hurried over to the table to examine the various ornaments. Laura simply walked over to a chair and collapsed in it.

"He-he doesn't get tired," the girl panted. "He ran the whole way!"

"I didn't want to miss anything," Edward countered as he picked up a glass bulb.

"Whoa, hold it there," Aran said taking the ornament from the boy's hands.

"We've got to wait for the others," Micaiah explained.

With that said the four members of the Dawn Brigade waited for the return of their last companions.

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Sorry to have an abrupt ending like that but I must stay true to the rules of this challenge. Well, time to get working on the next chapter. Blue, I don't expect a review from you since it's been so long since I took on this assignment, but it would be nice to hear from you. If I don't have any computer issues, I'll have this series done in the next day or two. Anyways, leave a review and I'll see everyone next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

The Holidays

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Whew, I've never really had a deadline before. I guess I don't have one here either, but I want to have this out for Christmas. That's my goal and I'm standing by it! Anyways, it's onward with this story now. Enjoy!**

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The four members of the Dawn Brigade searched for ways to pass the time for neither Leonardo nor Nolan had shown up. The sun had already started to set, casting a soft light into the conference room. Since the windows faced the east, the room began to get dark. Aran took it upon himself to light the fire while Micaiah busied herself with the candles. Edward sat with Laura in one corner of the room trying his best to wrap the gifts he had purchased for his friends. Surprisingly, he had been smart enough to have the store clerks place all of his items in individual boxes and label them. That didn't change the fact that he couldn't do a good job at wrapping them. The swordsman was growing increasingly more frustrated with his lack of ability with each failed attempt.

"Edward would you like me to help you," Laura offered trying to stifle a giggle. The swordsman shook his head as he made another attempt. "How about I demonstrate how it's done on this one and you follow my instructions with that one."

Edward thought over it for a moment before reluctantly handing Laura a package. He picked one up for himself and waited to be taught. Micaiah and Aran watched from where they were by the fire place. Present by present, Edward learned with increasing skill. With Laura's encouragement he nearly completed his task.

"I don't know how she does it," Aran said shaking his head catching Micaiah's attention. "That boy is impossible for anyone else to handle but her. It's an interesting relationship they share to say the least, but it works and they both seem really happy."

"I guess that's love for you," Micaiah sighed as her mind wandered off to her own life. "It works in strange ways and pairs unlikely people together. It transcends race, age, distance and time."

Aran glanced down at the silver haired girl beside him. He saw the blush spreading across her face. Her golden eyes were unfocused and she was in a world of her own. The soldier let out a sigh. He couldn't help but feel awkward and out of place. He had been left with the three lovers in the group and without a companion of his own he was the odd one out. Aran scratched his head before heading towards the door. He suddenly felt like taking a stroll around the keep to pass the time. No sooner had he opened the door then Leonardo and Nolan came barging in. The soldier had to press himself against the wall to avoid being trampled by the newcomers. Since more people had arrived, the atmosphere in the room had changed. Aran decided to stay as he closed the door and took a seat.

"What took you so long?" Edward demanded standing up leaving his task unfinished.

"Leonardo was slow and kept getting tired," Nolan explained as he strode over to the book shelf and began examining the spines. "Not only that but he has a horrible sense of direction and got us lost several times."

"That's not true!" the blond archer shot back defiantly.

"Then why are you so late?" Edward asked with a cocky grin on his face. His friend stammered, grasping desperately for an excuse but finding none. "Exactly! You were the reason the both of you are late! Leonardo you are the slowest person I know and you have no endurance! Remind me to never follow you when I'm lost too."

Micaiah and Laura giggled as Leonardo's face began to turn a bright red out of anger and embarrassment. Aran rolled his eyes at the scene while Edward slung his arm around his best friend's shoulders. Nolan returned from the shelf with a book in his hands. He opened to the first page and he began to read. However, the older man was not given much time with his book. Sothe opened the door and beckoned to the ax wielder. The two males promptly left the room and as the door closed behind them, everyone but Aran exchanged confused looks with the people around them.

"You guys can get started on the decorating without us," Sothe said as he reopened the door. "We're going to be a while so don't wait or this will never get done. If we don't return, goodnight and we'll see all of you tomorrow."

With that said, Sothe closed the door. The echo of his and Nolan's retreating footsteps could be heard in the conference room. No one moved from their spot. All of them were deep in thought as to what the two absent members were up to. Everyone that is, except Aran. The soldier watched his friends for a few minutes before deciding that it would be best to leave. He stood up and headed for the door only to find his path blocked by a certain swordsman. He tried sidestepping the boy only to have his motions mirrored.

"Excuse me, but I'd like to get by you," Aran said politely.

"No way, you know something," Edward countered back. "Don't think I didn't notice. You were the only one who wasn't confused or suspicious of Nolan and Sothe's activity. That means you know something that we don't!"

"Or it could be that I'm just as oblivious as you are, but I'm just not as concerned or interested as everyone else is."

Edward opened his mouth to say something back but shut it as he thought over what Aran had just said. In that instant the soldier slipped by him and exited the room. The young swordsman was about to give chase when he felt a gentle hand grab his shoulder. He knew who it was without ever having to turn and see.

"Okay then let's decorate this tree!" Edward shouted as he spun around and lifted Laura into his arms.

The poor girl let out a scream, mostly from surprise, as the swordsman danced around in circles. Micaiah smiled at the couple as they clamored on. Leonardo shook his head and picked up a glass bulb to hang on the tree. However, a loud crash caused him to turn about and nearly drop the delicate ornament. The source of the noise was none other then Edward. He had made himself dizzy from spinning so many times and had run into a chair. He was currently laying flat on his back with Laura sitting atop his chest laughing.

The blond archer shook his head before returning to his previous task. Micaiah urged the couple to help, but they were still lost in a world of their own. With a sigh of defeat the silver haired girl walked over to lend a hand to Leonardo as he decorated the tree. When Edward saw that his two friends had started without him, he leapt to his feet. Laura rolled off of the young swordsman chest as he did so. With everyone focused, the number of decorations left on the table dwindled until Micaiah picked up the last one. She held in her hand a near transparent glass orb. It was unlike the others though. This one had a spell cast on it. The girl's golden eyes widened as the elements raged within their confinement. It immediately caught the attention of the other three members.

"Hey, that one doesn't fit in with the rest," Edward spoke as he pointed to the ornament Micaiah was holding.

"We can't hang that on the tree," Leonardo finished his friend's thought. "Look it doesn't even have a hook or string to hang it on a branch. It may be interesting, but we simply can't use it."

Micaiah held the orb in her hand a moment longer before gently setting it back on the table. The boys turned away to admire the tree. The girls, on the other hand, searched for a way to incorporate the unique bulb in with the rest of the decorations. Laura suddenly picked it up and examined it in her hands. Micaiah was about to protest when her friend set the orb back on the table and left the room. Aran walked in immediately after Laura left. Nolan and Sothe were close behind. The three men stopped to admire the fine work that the younger members of the Dawn Brigade had done in their absence.

"Good work all of you," Nolan congratulated. He noticed Micaiah staring at the odd decoration by herself. "What have you got there?"

"I'm not sure, but it is really pretty," the silver haired girl sighed.

She folded her arms and rested her chin on them, her eyes fixed on the swirling colors within the glass. Nolan picked up the orb and examined it. Everyone turned as Laura burst into the room clutching something in her hands. She snatched the glass ornament from the man's hands. Nolan took no offence, instead he watched the young girl curiously. Laura worked the orb into the claws of the top piece of a healing staff. Satisfied she set it on the table.

"Very nice," Nolan applauded. "However it is getting late. We have another busy day tomorrow. It's the last day before Christmas. It's off to bed for everyone."

Sothe went around the room putting out the candles while Aran poured water on the fire. Everyone paused momentarily as the odd decorations scattered its own light on the stone walls. Nolan ushered every member out of the room. The older man took one last glance back at the orb before closing the door and leaving to go to bed.

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Well, that's chapter 5 for you. I'm reaching the end here. This will all be done before Christmas. Haha, I find it interesting that I'm writing these while listening to songs from the Nightmare Before Christmas. Anyways, leave a review and I'll see everyone in the next chapter.**


	6. Chapter 6

The Holidays

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I am so close to finishing this. The end is near my friends. It feels good to nearly be done with a story but at the same time I feel a little sad. Oh well. This is Christmas Eve, in my story that is. Blue, I'm sure you'll be happy to finally see me fulfill your challenge. It's story time! Enjoy!**

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The day began surprisingly slow for the Dawn Brigade. No one woke up until nearly noon. They still had preparations to make for their celebration that night, but everyone was taking it easy for a change. It had been more then a year since they first set out on the path of war and with the reconstruction project there had been no time for any of them to rest. For now, it was time to relax and sleep in for the first time in a long time. It was well past midday before the first person entered the conference room. Aran came in alone. He walked straight to the table where the swirling orb sat. The soldier pulled it from the clutches of the iron claws. The man walked over to one of the large chairs in the room. Aran turned the glass ball over in his hands, examining it to pass the time.

"Good morning!" Edward shouted as he burst through the door, startling the soldier. "I guess its noon now. Oh, hello there Aran. You're here early."

"Not at all," the man countered with an even voice as he returned what was in his hand to its place of origin. "I'm actually here very late, but as fate would have it so is everyone else. You already noticed that it's past noon. That means all of us are late."

"Yeah, but you were the first one here which means you are early," the young swordsman began to explain his thought process.

"We don't set meeting times so whoever is here first is the one that's early," Leonardo finished as he entered the room.

Aran shook his head. He didn't necessarily agree with the logic behind the boys thinking. No one could possibly be early if they showed up well past midday. The Dawn Brigade didn't have specific meeting times, but everyone was usually in the conference room by midmorning. The soldier got up to leave the room. Aran found his path blocked by Edward once again.

"Okay, since no one else is around I want you to tell us what you, Nolan and Sothe are up to," Leonardo demanded as he stood next to his friend to widen the barricade of human bodies. "I know that you know something. You can tell us what it is. We won't tell anyone, I promise."

"You two sure are nosy," Aran sighed. "Very well, if you must know, we are working on gathering a very elusive gift for someone. We are trying to get one thing, but no matter how hard we look we can't find it. That's why Sothe and Nolan go off together at times. I know about it because I've helped them a little with the expenses."

Edward and Leonardo thought over what they were just told. However, their faces showed a great level of displeasure at the quality of information they had just received. What Aran told them was something they had been able to figure out on their own. It was obvious that that was what the three men had been up to. The two boys were more interested in specific details and Edward began to pester the soldier into disclosing more to them.

"Come on guys," Aran spoke with a slightly taunting tone. "I didn't think that it would be that difficult to figure out. Think about it for a minute. Who has been the most difficult person for both of you to buy for? Which person only wants one thing this year? Leonardo I know you are smart enough to figure this one out. Edward, well, I'm sure he'll tell you when he figures it out. Now if you excuse me, I have to go talk to Nolan."

Leonardo moved to let Aran pass but Edward did not. With a slight shove, Leonardo was able to move his friend out of the way. With his path clear, Aran promptly left before a certain young swordsman could stop him. The archer dragged his friend to a chair and sat him down. Edward was attempted to jump up, but was surprised to find that Leonardo had actually stopped him. The archer grinned at his success. He received a defiant glare from the swordsman. Edward reached out and grabbed his friends arm. He pulled Leonardo towards him as he leapt out of the chair. He turned around pointing an accusing finger in the blond haired boy's face.

"Now you know what's going on," Edward shouted. "Tell me, I don't want to be the only one in the dark here."

Leonardo couldn't help but laugh much to his friend's dismay. The archer stood up and put a reassuring hand on Edward's shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll tell you," Leonardo started. He stopped though as the door opened. When he saw it was Laura he whispered to Edward. "I think it's Micaiah they are working hard to get a gift for. The rest of us aren't that hard to buy for. I don't know what they are trying to get her but it must be something really special if they are going through this much trouble."

"Edward, I need you to come with me," Laura called out to him.

The swordsman abandoned Leonardo in an instant as he dashed over to where Laura was standing by the door. However, he almost immediately regretted his eagerness when she held out a list in his face. He didn't try to run, but he was far from happy with having to go out shopping again. Leonardo did his best to hide a laugh. It escaped him though and Laura took immediate notice.

"Don't worry Leonardo, Nolan has a list of things for you to do before tonight too," Laura said with a smirk as she held out another list for the archer. "Edward, Micaiah and I are going to take care of the cooking for tonight. You and the rest of the guys are going to take care of setting this room up for us. Of course Nolan and Sothe went off to take care of something without saying when they'd be back so it looks like it will just be you and Aran."

"But what would we do with the room?" Leonardo asked looking around slightly curious as to what he would have to do.

"We aren't decorating but we need some extra tables and chairs," Laura explained as she started to read off of the short list.

"Isn't it just us though?" Edward asked.

The swordsman only received a knowing smile from Laura as she took his hand and led him out of the room. Leonardo stood where he was for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and following after them. He would have to find Aran if they were to complete their task. For the remainder of the day the members of the Dawn Brigade were off doing separate jobs in small groups. By nightfall, everyone had finished and they were ready to celebrate Christmas Eve.

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Okay, so I'm a little behind on the release but it will be done soon. This concludes this chapter. I've got to get writing the next one. There will only be two more. Anyways, leave a review and I'll be seeing all of you next chapter.**


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